Many beehives in commercial use comprise a plurality of generally square or rectangular-shaped, hollow, box-like compartments or "floors", which are manufactured for modular stacking in a tower arrangement. Typically, the bottom most compartment is the "nest floor" where the queen bee resides and in which procreation occurs. This compartment is closed only at the bottom, and is open at the top. One or more upper compartments, known as "honey floors", and having neither a floor nor a ceiling, are arranged above the nest floor so as to be contiguous therewith. Depending on the size of the nest, the amount of honey being produced, and the time of year, the number of honey floors may be either increased or reduced.
In the specification and claims, the term "commercial beehive" refers to the type described above.
From time to time, it may be necessary to access the nest floor for periodic treatments, or to replace it completely. In accordance with the prior art, in order to gain access to the nest floor all of the honey floors must be removed. This, of course, causes great disturbance to the beehive activity.
It is also noted that, while commercial beehives are generally of similar construction, their width, height and length dimensions may differ from region to region.